Lips

Easing Your Way Into Color Is Simple With Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics’ Smoothing Lip Color

June 15th, 2012 by Karen 13 Comments

simply vera vera wang cosmetics smoothig lip color 709
Wearing Simply Vera Vera Wang Smoothing Lip Color in 709

If bright, bold lipsticks like MAC’s Dear Diary are the lipstick equivalent of a towering feathered headdress and a bedazzled rhinestone bikini, then the new Simply Vera Vera Wang Smoothing Lip Colors ($18.50 each, and available in five shimmery and matte shades) are like a sleeveless LBD that skims your curves — elegant, classic and feminine, yet not overly schmexy.

With a thick consistency and fully opaque coverage, these unscented, unflavored lippies remind me of the Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Colors. All it takes is a single layer for sophisticated color that lasts through a cup of coffee (but not a meal!) and lips that whisper, “I’m more hottie librarian than flashy Vegas showgirl.”

I’ve been getting cozy with two of them this week, shimmery brownish pink 702 and shimmery rose 709. Both apply smoothly without feathering or catching on to those annoying wayward flakes on my sometimes dry lips, and I think they deliver just enough color to balance well with the neutral eyeshadows from Vera’s Transforming Shadow Duos.

simply vera vera wang cosmetics smoothig lip color 702
Wearing Simply Vera Vera Wang Smoothing Lip Color in 702

simply vera vera wang cosmetics lipsticks
Smoothing Lip Colors in 702 (left) and 709 (right), $18.50 each
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The Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Glosses in Coralista, Dallas and Sugarbomb Are Making Makeup Dreams Come True

June 13th, 2012 by Karen 21 Comments

benefit dallas ultra plush lip gloss
Wearing Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Dallas on my lips and Dallas Boxed Blush on my cheeks

Sometimes, it’s good to match…

Like with your shoes when you go to class.

There’s nothing like that moment one morning when you glance down at your feet in the middle of your botany final and see a pink shoe on your left foot and a blue shoe on your right.

“What the what?!”

FCS, or Falsus Calceatus Syndrome (Wrong Shoe Syndrome), strikes thousands of young adults each year, many of them after all-nighters spent studying C3, C4 and CAM photosynthesis.

Sometimes, it’s not good to match…

Like last night, when I dreamed that Tabs had an identical kitty twin.

In theory, one might think, “OOH! Matching bookend tabbies would be so awesome!”

Except it wasn’t.

The twin tabbies did everything together. They whined for gravy together, launched off my tum at 3 in the morning together, and collectively draped across my right shoulder while I tried to blog (that’s 40 pounds of cat, yo!).

They also demanded that I push them around town in a tricked-out Louis Vuitton kitty carriage, complete with spinning chrome rims, and I’m pretty sure they were also plotting to crush me. To death.

So which of these two cat-egories do the new $16 Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Glosses fall into?

I’d say the first one. When it’s good to match.

Benefit designed this new line of six sheer glosses to match their bestselling Benefit Boxed Blushes, and color my lips thrilled! 🙂

Most of the time when it comes to lip products, I think I’m pretty easy to please. Gimme a tube of Benefit Sugar Cookie Lipstick, and we’ll call it a day.

But I’ll never say never (Bieber-style) to a gorgeous gloss, especially one I openly wished for back in 2008, when I wished for a lipgloss that matched Benefit Coralista blush (or Dallas, or Sugarbomb).

With these Ultra Plush Glosses, Benefit delivers exactly that.

benefit dallas coralista sugarbomb ultra plush lip gloss tubes

benefit dallas coralista sugarbomb ultra plush lip gloss swatches
Swatches from the left: Dallas, Sugarbomb and Coralista
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What’s Your Current Favorite Lip Product Combo?

June 12th, 2012 by Karen 26 Comments

mac youre perfect already in synch

Lately, my lips and I have been loving this little pink combo here. It’s a combination of three different products, pale neutral pink MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already, bright yellowish pink MAC Lip Pencil In Synch (in In Synch?) and baby pink bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Show Off.

I dunno… I feel like I’ve been more adventurous than usual with my eye makeup lately (than usual for me, LOL!), and so I like my lips a little mellow so that they don’t end up overwhelming the rest of my look.

This combo here? Pretty mellow, and I like that it’s neutral enough to wear with warm or cool eye colors.

First, I line with In Synch, feather out the edges with a finger, and apply a layer of MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already directly from the tube.

Then, after blotting with a tissue or, sometimes, with the back of my hand, I apply one layer of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Show Off.

That’s it! And one of my favorite things about this triple play? None of the products dry out my lips.

mac youre perfect already in synch

mac youre perfect already in synch swatch
Swatches from the left: MAC Lip Pencil in In Synch, MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already and bareMinerals Moxie Lipgloss in Show Off

How about you? What’s your current favorite lip product combo?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Tint in Carlotta Pink, and Hello From Jury Duty!

June 11th, 2012 by Karen 31 Comments

clarks botanicals ultra rich lip tint

Greetings and salutations from the courthouse in the Marin County Civic Center! I’m writing this from a folding chair in a waiting room filled with other citizens awaiting the chance to do our civic duty, a.k.a jury duty, and for the record, the natives are getting restless…

Jeopardy Fun Fact

The Marin County Civic Center, a futuristic spaceship-looking structure with beige walls, a sky-blue roof and a 172-foot-tall golden tower, was the last building commission by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

If the picture makes you feel a little woozy, you might need a doctor — Dr. Dre, that is. The building makes an appearance at the very beginning of Dr. Dre’s video, I Need a Doctor.

The room is hot, stuffy, and we’ve been here for hours, just waiting to see if the court will need us today.

Judging by the grumbling around me, which is steadily increasing in volume, it’s about to get Lord of the Flies up in here!

If we get cut off…assume one of two things: 1) either I got picked to serve on a jury, or 2) the thin veil of decorum that feebly keeps society from collapsing has fallen, and I’m dodging staplers and paperback copies of 50 Shades of Grey being hurled through the air.

If it’s scenario No. 2, hopefully I’ve managed to escape with my laptop and lipgloss!

Today, that lipgloss is Clark’s Botanicals Ultra Rich Lip Tint in Carlotta Pink ($19; one of six shades), and it’s probably the only court-appropriate thing I’m wearing…

But before we get to that, first, some background about the brand. 🙂

Like this: they love their skin-balancing botanicals. Products in the small NY-based niche skin care and makeup line are mostly carried at fancy schmancy stores like Fred Segal and Saks Fifth Avenue, and every product in the line contains jasmine absolute, an essential oil with, they claim, “immuno-stimulating and antibacterial properties.”

Carlotta Pink, a sheer, shimmery rose, is one of six Rich Lip Tint shades in the line, and today it’s the only thing keeping me from looking like a waitress in a tiki bar.

I was running late this morning (and low on caffeine) and trying to beat the traffic, so I left the house wearing a sleeveless tropical print romper and knee-high green boots, an outfit that doesn’t exactly scream, “jury duty.”

clarks botanicals ultra rich lip tint tube

At least I had the good sense to grab Carlotta Pink…

clarks botanicals ultra rich lip tint swatch
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Sheer, These Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses Are Ultra Easy to Apply

June 8th, 2012 by Karen 28 Comments

benefit ultra plush gloss bella bamba
Wearing Benefit Bella Bamba Boxed Blush and Bella Bamba Ultra Plush Gloss

Ever get a hankerin’ for easy-to-apply sheer glosses in shades that match your favorite Benefit boxes blushes?

If you do, Benefit’s latest launch might be of interest.

Why? Because it’s Ultra Plush. 🙂

The six $16 shades that comprise the Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses match some of the lines bestselling boxed blushes.

The Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses

Bella Bamba: a sheer, bright watermelon
Dandelion: a soft pearly pink
Coralista: a sheer coral
Hoola: a shimmering golden nude
Dallas: a dusty rose
Sugarbomb: a shimmering pinkish nude

Officially, they arrive at Benefit counters, stores and Sephora next month, but I’ve heard whispers about it being stocked at some Sephora stores early.

Here’s a brief look at three of the upcoming shades…

benefit ultra plush gloss boxes

benefit ultra plush gloss bella bamba
Bella Bamba

benefit ultra plush gloss hoola
Hoola
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Lips Are Winning This Match Thanks to the MAC Beth Ditto Lip Pencils

June 3rd, 2012 by Karen 8 Comments

MAC Beth Ditto Lip Pencils from the left: In Sync, Embrace Me, Entertain Me and Nightmoth

Matching your shoes to your bag, your dress to your eyeshadow, your striped shirt to your striped fat-@ss tabby… Sometimes, it’s just fun to match!

Take the four MAC Beth Ditto Lip Pencils ($14), for instance. I get a kick out of wearing ’em with their coordinating Pro Longwear Lipcremes from the collection.

I think In Synch (a bright yellow pink) goes great with You’re Perfect Already, Entertain Me (an orange) pairs perfectly with BOOYAH!!, Embrace Me (a vivid pinkish fuchsia) looks darling with Dear Diary, and Nightmoth (a blackened plum) says holla! with Heart Hangover.

Okay, but why bother with lip liner? Well, I like to wear matching lip liners when I need a little help keeping a brighter color from going beyond my natural lip line and/or to increase the wear time of lipsticks and glosses. Plus, sometimes I actually like taking the little extra makeup steps, ya know?

For the Lipcremes in the MAC Beth Ditto collection, having a matching Lip Liner is like a sundae with an extra cherry on top. 🙂

mac beth ditto lip pencils

mac beth ditto lip pencil swatches
MAC Beth Ditto Lip Pencils from the left: In Synch, Entertain Me, Embrace Me and Nightmoth

mac beth ditto lip pencil comparison swatches
Pro Longwear Lipcreme in You’re Perfect Already, Lip Liner in In Synch, Prolongwear Lipcreme in BOOYAH!! , Lip Liner in Entertain Me, Prolongwear Lipcreme in Dear Diary, Lip Liner in Embrace Me, Prolongwear Lipcreme in Heart Hangover and Lip Liner in Nightmoth
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The MAC Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Lipcremes: A Study in Contrasts

June 2nd, 2012 by Karen 20 Comments

mac beth ditto heart hangover
MAC Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Lipcreme in Heart Hangover on my lips

Sure, I’ll take a salty caramel, but I think I’ll pass on the chocolate-covered bacon.

It’s a big seller, you say? Really…? Who buys it? Yeah, I guess I can see it as a novelty, mixing contrasts like that. I guess that’s also what MAC had in mind with the new MAC Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Lipcremes ($17 each).

I don’t know. Something about the mix of quiet colors and bold brights just feels right to me.

LOL! No, not like chocolate and bacon. 🙂 Probably more like salt and caramel.

The hushed hues in You’re Perfect Already (a neutral pale pink) and Love Long Distance (a light mauve) look like they were made with lighter lovelies in mind, while bronzed beauties and darker divas might fall in love with lush, vivid Heart Hangover (a deep purple), Dear Diary (a bright neon pink) and BOOYAH!! (a bright orange).

If you’re new to the Pro Longwear Lipcremes, you’re in luck (here’s a review)!

They’re like the MAC Amplified lipsticks, version 2.0. Creamy, moisturizing pigments with a touch of vanilla flavor and scent, and they last all day long on me, even through drinks and meals.

MAC Beth Ditto Pro Longwear Lipcremes from the left: Heart Hangover, Dear Diary, BOOYAH, You’re Perfect Already and Love Long Distance

mac beth ditto pro longwear lipcreme swatches
Swatches from the left: Love Long Distance, You’re Perfect Already, BOOYAH, Dear Diary, Heart Hangover

mac beth ditto pro longwear lipcreme comparison swatches
Love Long Distance, Snob, Pink Popcorn, You’re Perfect Already, Innocence Beware, BOOYAH, Watch Me Simmer, Reel Sexy, Dear Diary, Girl About Town, Quick Sizzle, Heart Hangover, Approaching Storm and Paramount
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Milani Crystal Gloss for Lips Might Be Making MAC Jealous

May 26th, 2012 by Karen 14 Comments

milani crystal gloss for lips 1
Milani Crystal Gloss in Cotton Candy on lips

At a quick glance, I might assume that this brownish pink gloss with golden pearl, creamy brownish plum and soft, shimmery neutral pink were all members of the MAC gloss family, but the $4.99 price tag is all Milani.

Yup, the Milani Crystal Glosses have a rep for being drugstore MAC gloss dupes, and I can definitely see the similarities in the three new shades Milani recently released for summer.

Take Milani’s shimmery pinkish brown Fascination. Now, is it just me, or does Fascination look like a shy, sheerer, less golden version of MAC Viva Glam V Lipglass?

And then there’s shimmery pink Cotton Candy, which reminds me of a bookish tween version of MAC’s Creamsheen in Right Image.

And if MAC Spite wasn’t so intense, I’d call it Precious, as in Milani’s Precious.

milani crystal gloss for lips in fascination, precious and cotton candy
Crystal Gloss for Lips in Fascination, Precious and Cotton Candy, $5.45 each (three new shades available at select CVS/Pharmacy stores)

milani crystal gloss and glitzy glamour gloss swatches
Glitzy Glamour Gloss in High Status and Show Stopper; Crystal Gloss in Fascination, Precious and Cotton Candy

milani crystal gloss for lips 2
Precious
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